Evidence Review into Harm and Parental Involvement to Support the Review of the Presumption of Parental Involvement

The Ministry of Justice Data and Analytical Services Directorate (MoJ-DASD) has a requirement for a suitably qualified and experienced researcher to undertake an evidence review to inform the ongoing review into the presumption of parental involvement. This research should summarise the existing evidence on the impact harm and involvement with a parent has upon a child's welfare and explore how parental involvement can be supported and made safe where needed. The review into the presumption of parental involvement was announced in November 2020 following the recommendations of the Harm Panel in June 2020.To ensure the best interests of the child remain at the heart of this review, we welcome bids that include expertise on child psychology or child welfare.

The aim of this literature review is to understand the existing evidence on the impact on a child's continuing welfare of both parents' involvement in their life, especially in situations where the child has experienced or is at risk of harm, and what works to ensure parental involvement can be made safe in such situations.

It is important to recognise that the lives of children and families are diverse and complex. When considering the evidence on children's welfare, where possible, a broad range of circumstances, family structures and contact arrangements should be considered. Care should be taken to ensure that the parent-child context is clearly articulated in outputs where this could be relevant to the transferability of the findings.